Adjustable support



Jan. 14, 1941. v r A MoGREGoR 2,228,579

ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT Filed May 31, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1NVENTOR.

THOMAS A.MGREG0R '7i ORNEYS Jam 14, 1941- T. A. MGGREGOR ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT Filed May 31, 1938 2 Sheets-Shea*I 2 E if s INVENTOR.

THOMAS ,MQGRE R wif, 7e

llllvlhllllllllylfllhllll lilllllllll AQT RNEYS Patented Jan. 14, 1941 UNITED STATES 42,228,579 1 v ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT Thomas A. McGregor, Pontiac, Mich., assig-nor to American Forging & Socket Company, Pontiac, Mich., a corporation of Michigan I Application May 31, 193s, serial No. 210,856

3 Claims.

This invention relates to adjustable supporting means for the seats of vehicles, and other objects desired to be mounted in a manner rendering them easily movable at will, but normally held 5 against unwanted movement with such rigidity as to prevent rattling, looseness, or side or end play.

An important object of the invention is to provide a device of the indicated character which is of simple and inexpensive construction but great strength.

A further object` is to incorporate in an adjustable support of such character an improved locking mechanism, easily releasable under all conditions yet normally holding the supported object rigidly against movement.

Still another object is to provide such an improved support'which may be formed as a unitary track and carriage assembly, and to incorporate means whereby a plurality of such assemblies may be interconnected to provide for synchronizing movement of the carriage sections of such interconnected units. A related object is the provision of a device of the indicated character which is readily attachable and detachable with respect to the inter-connecting-synchronizing means. K

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a pair of unitary supporting assemblies constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention, and arranged and interconnected to support a vehicle seat, the interconnecting means being centrally broken away.

Figure 2 is a side elevational View of one of the supporting units.

AFigure 3 is a front elevational view of such unit.

Figures 4 and 5 are top and side views, respectively, of the locking lever.

Figures 6 and 7 are rim and end views, respectively, of one of the roller gear elements, and

Figure 8 is a View similar to Figure 3, showing a somewhat modied construction.

Referring no-w to the drawings, reference character I designates a channeled track, riveted or otherwise attached to a support I2 adapted to be fastened as .by bolts I3 to a floor or other suitable surface. The track is also provided with laterally out-turned top flanges I4.

A carriage member I5, rollably supported by the track in inverted position, is of similar cross sectional contour and carries upwardly extending studs I'I by which a supported object such yas the 55 seat 20 may be attached thereto. Rollers 22 interposed between the track and carriage rit snug- 1 l ly into the aligned channels of such members, each roller also having a toothed gear portion24 meshing with appropriately positioned serially perforated openings as 25, 26 in the carriage and track portions.

The form of the roller is clearly shown in Fgures 6 and 7. Its two halves are clinched together to form a unit and to secure between them the stamped gear 24. The metal for clinching is pressed outwardly from the hub of one of the roller sections and adapted to project through a central opening in the other. The projected portion is also hollow and the opening 29 thus formed in the roller is elongated in form and f adapted to receive the flattened end of a torque rod 30, projectible thereinto through a slot 33 in the side of the inner guide elementA 35. Such slot is long enough to allow the rod to travel with the rollers as the carriage moves. The inner and outer guide elements 35. 36, respectively, are attached to the carriage and provided with flanges adapted to underhang the track anges I4, to prevent vertical separation of the carriage from the track.

It will be appreciated that the torque rod 30 provides means whereby a plurality of such units may be interconnected to synchronizemovement of their carriage portions. vIn the illustrated assembly one complete track and carriage assembly e is arranged to support each end of the seat, and

,the torque rod insures uniform movement of both carriages even though the force to move the seat be applied entirely at one end. The cross connecting means provided by the torque rod also eliminates the necessity of locking the carriage to the track at more than one of such assemblies.

The locking means comprises a lever 40, of channel section, pivotally connected to the inner guide member 35 and projected outwardly through an appropriately positioned opening 4I in the outer guide member 36, of one of the assemblies. In vehicular installations, this is preferably on the drivers side. The cross-web of the channel-shaped locking lever is terminated short of its pivoted end, to form perforated ears 42 at that end, which ears extend through slots (undesignated) in the inner guide channel 35. A cotter pin 44t is thereafter passed through the perforations to prevent removal of the lever, which is then located by the cotter pin in cooperation with the web of the lever. Along the edge of one of the track flanges I4 a series of notches 46 are cut, and the spacing of these conforms to the distance between the downwardly projecting flanges of the locking lever. Such anges of the lever are angularly cut away to provide downwardly projecting toothed portions 45 projectable into the slots when the lever is in the lowered position in which it is normally yieldably held by the spring 41. When the outer end of the lever is lifted, the toothed portions 45 are raised to free them from the slots, allowing the carriage to travel over the track. The spring is of substantially straight wire, held between ears 48, 59 pressed out of the outer guide channel 36, and turned downwardly at its free end into a hole 43 in the locking lever.

In the somewhat modified construction shown in Figure 8 guide portions 35A, 36A, which are arranged and function similarly to guide portions 35, 36 of the embodiment just described, are formed as integral extensions of the flanges of the carriage portion WA. These flanges in similar fashion underhang and are freely slidable with relation to the head flanges of the track element lA. The other portions of this embodiment equivalent to parts previously described are believed to vneed no detailed redescription, and have been given like reference numerals distinguished by the addition of the letter A to each.

While it will be apparent that the illustrated embodiments of my invention herein disclosed are well calculated to adequately fulll the objects and advantages primarily stated, itis to be understood that the invention is susceptible to variation, modification and change within the spirit and scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. Adjustable supporting means comprising a track, a carriage assembly rollable thereover and having substantially parallel side flanges overhanging opposite sides of the track, a locking dog member carried by said carriage assembly, extending Itransversely through both side flanges thereof, and movable to and from engagement with said track, and spaced downwardly extending holding portions carried by said dog member and movable therewith into and out of interfitting relation with conformably spaced abutment portions formed upon and spaced longitudinally along the track, said track being of channeled form and having side webs projecting upwardly toward said holding portions of the dog member and notched at intervals conforming to the spacing of ysaid holding portions, said notches constituting the abutment portions and being adapted to interlock in transverse relation with said holding portions.

2. Adjustable supporting means comprising a track, a carriage assembly rollable thereover and having substantially parallel side flanges overhanging opposite sides of the track, a locking dog member carried by said carriage assembly, eX- tending transversely through both side flanges thereof, and movable to and from engagement with said track, and spaced downwardly extending holding portions carried by said dog member and movable therewith into and out of interfitting relation with conformably spaced abutment portions formed upon and spaced longitudinally along the track, said dog member comprising a channel having downwardly extending side webs, said webs being elongated at one end and rockably projecting through individual slots in one flange of the carriage, said holding portions comprising portions of the side webs of said channel, and said abutment portions comprising a plurality of serially disposed cut out areas spaced correspondingly to the spacing between the side of the webs of said channeled dog member.

3. Adjustable supporting means comprising a track, a carriage assembly rollable thereover and having substantially parallel side flanges overhanging opposite sides of the track, a locking dog member carried by said carriage assembly, extending transversely through both side flanges thereof, and movable to and from engagement with said track, and spaced downwardly extending holding portions carried by said dog member and movable therewith into and out of intertting relation with conformably spaced abutment portions formed upon and spaced longitudinally along the track, said track and dog member comprising channels extending perpendicularly to one another and the side flanges of each member being directed toward those of the other member, the dog member being pivotally connected to one of the side webs of the `carriage assembly and slidably projecting through the other side web of said assembly, said holding portions comprising portions of the side Webs of said channeled dog member and said abutment portions comprising a plurality of serially disposed cut out areas spaced correspondingly to the spacing between the side webs of said dog member.

THOMAS A. MCGREGOR. 

